Two Roads Diverged in a Scoop

So the official Rocky Road chocolate vs. vanilla taste test starts tomorrow. It will be interesting to see what the outcome is. Even though I thought the chocolate was going to win me over, somehow the vanilla has more "rockiness to it". Adrian! Yes I went there.

I like to root for the underdog but I realize that the purists may like the chocolate just because it's familiar. Maybe another taste will swing my vote.

I had to come up with my own recipe this time. It wasn't sweet enough or chocolatey enough at first so I added Magic Shell to it because that was all I had. That did make it harder but at least it gave it the much needed sweetness. The chocolate I used must have been semisweet.

On another note, I watched a biography on Ben & Jerry's today. It made me want to drive up to their plant and try to eat a whole Vermonster my myself! I don't know anyone whose tried it. That is a bucket list item for sure. My one regret while on vacation... I didn't eat enough ice cream! I'll have to make up for it this week:) Ha Ha

Week 9: I Love Rocky Road

I was surprised to see that this flavor wasn't chocolate but vanilla based with chocolate chips. While I like this version, I think would have preferred the chocolate base. Maybe I'm a purist. But it was still very delicious. The rough "rocky" texture of the chips, coconut and almonds contrasts nicely with the soft marshmallow pieces. I will admit my jaw was a bit tired of chewing after this one. This made for some thick ice cream that had to be mixed by hand because the maker couldn't hold half of the final ingredients.

This one definitely warrants a chocolate vs vanilla taste test. Since I have left over ingredients I think I will see if I can make it happen for Tuesday. Since I'll be away next week on vacation maybe this can take the place of next Sundays post. I can declare the winner of the taste test on Sunday instead of starting a new flavor. We'll see what the ice cream gallery has to say at work.

a fork in the road

The title for this post came from the Wierd Al song, I Love Rocky Road, sung to the classic 80s anthem I Love Rock and Roll by Joan Jett.

I hear those ice cream bells and I start to drool
Keep a couple quarts in my locker at school
Yah, but chocolate's gettin' old
Vanilla just leaves me cold

There's just one flavor good enough for me, yah me
Don't gimme no crummy taste spoon
I know what I need

Baby, I love rocky road
So won't ya go and buy half a gallon, baby
I love rocky road
So have another triple scoop with me, ow

They tell me ice cream junkies are all the same
All the soda jerkers know my name
When their supply is gone
Then I'll be movin' on

But I'll be back on Monday afternoon, you'll see
Another truck load's comin' in for me, all for me
I'm singin'

I love rocky road
So won't ya go and buy half a gallon, baby
I love rocky road
So have another triple scoop with me, ow

(oh, make it talk)

When I'm all alone, I just grab myself a cone
And if I get fat and loose my teeth that's fine with me
Just lock me in the freezer and throw away the key
Sing it

I love rocky road
So won't ya go and buy half a gallon, baby
I love rocky road
So have another triple scoop with me

I love rocky road
So won't ya go and buy half a gallon, baby
I love rocky road
So have another triple scoop with me

Week 5: Deutsch Schokolade | German Chocolate

This week Caroline picked the flavor. Chocolate ...check, coconut ...check, nuts ...check, yep its going to be good!

I am constantly trying to perfect my technique with each recipe. I made sure my eggs were room temperature, got the milk up to the proper temperature before and after tempering the eggs. I let it thoroughly cool before putting it in the fridge overnight. With all this I expected the mixture to come out of the fridge with a medium bodied consistency, thin enough to then get thickened in the maker. Instead I ended up with soft serve before I even put it in the maker. This is a scary outcome as it is only going to get thicker once the mixture freezes. But fears aside I proceed with getting it churning in the mixer. It goes for half an hour then its time to put the coconut and nuts in. The minute I do, the motor stops. I'm thinking now I have to work fast before I end up with a melted mess. And is my machine broken?

I handle the first fiasco - getting this mass of ice cream out of the maker and into a bowl so I can mix it. Because the mixture got so hard in the maker, a lot of it froze to the sides of the cylinder and was soft in the middle. I was nervous about having chunks of hardened ice cream mixed within the soft base but the coconut and nut texture hopefully hide that. I get the mixture the the freezer as quickly as possible and check the maker. Motor starts up fine! It will live to see another week of ice cream making. I actually think its designed to shut it off if the cylinder cant spin, so you don't blow the motor. Lets hope anyway.

This whole process was a labor of love. The ingredients were somewhat pricey and more so because I doubled the recipe. This is definitely a treat worth spending money on. The richness of the chocolate is the star in this ice cream, and the Bakers's German's Chocolate is creamy and smooth, and just sweet enough. The coconut gives a a great flavor as well, I might even add some coconut extract next time to amp up the coconut flavor. The original recipe called for pecans but Caroline asked for macadamias. They add a rich, buttery crunch that makes this even more decadent. They are salted so you get the contrast in flavors which balance each other well. That seems to be the big thing in baking right now. You see salt topped cupcakes and pies with caramel and salt. I'm glad that people are looking at savory items for baked goods. I'm getting a bit off topic but. herbs go really well in sweet dishes too.

I think the only thing wrong with it is wanting to eat the entire batch in one sitting. I would advise against doing this, as it is so rich. This is the type of ice cream that is a delicacy, to be savored. It will be the perfect way to start a short week after this holiday weekend.

Have a wonderful 4th of July!